Many countries have extensive road and highway systems allowing individuals to drive from one point to another. The road and highway systems can support moving vehicles such as cars, sedans, trucks, and motorcycles.
Traffic signs or road signs are signs erected at the side of roads to provide traffic information to drivers. For example, freeways and streets can have traffic signs that provide directions, street names, speed limits, and other information of interest to drivers. Traffic signs can also include road reflectors, which reflect available light towards a driver indicating road lane divisions.
Vehicle speed represents an important safety factor for all drivers on a road and highway system. Different roads and different portions of a road can have different suitable speed limits. The suitable speed limit can differ based on traffic conditions, local weather, constructions, police activity, accident, and other factors. Furthermore, the suitable speed limit can differ based on a vehicle class, for example, a higher speed limit can apply to a sedan while a lower speed limit can apply to a truck or a vehicle towing another vehicle.
Drivers can be informed of applicable speed limits through traffic signs depicting speed limit information. Speed limit signs can be permanently installed near the road to be visible to drivers on the roadway. Speed limit signs can also be dynamic, utilizing light bulbs, LEDs, or other devices to display a specified speed limit. Furthermore, speed limit signs can be temporary, and placed by construction crews around construction zones or by police around accident sites.
To help drivers comply with applicable speed limits, vehicles typically have speedometer, such as an analogue gauge, digital display, or another output device indicating a current speed of the vehicle. It is the responsibility of the driver to notice speed limit signs and adjust vehicle speed accordingly.
Unfortunately, observing the applicable speed limit can be burdensome on a driver. For example, speed limit signs can be missed if the driver's attention wavers or if a large vehicle obstructs the driver's view of the speed limit sign. Speed limit signs can also be missed as the driver handles immediate traffic situations that affect safety, such as avoid road obstructions. The driver's attention on the vehicle speedometer can waver for other reasons.
Existing traffic signs are passive, requiring a driver's active attention to convey information. If the driver's attention is focused elsewhere or wavers, the traffic sign can be missed. This is a particular problem on freeways, where vehicles travel quickly and a traffic sign is visible only briefly.
Thus, an improved method and system for providing traffic signage is needed.